Spring-wheel.



C. I. DODSON.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1910.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

fi lllllllill Witnezs Attorneys,

TINTTED STATES PATENT @FFTCE.

CHARLES I. DODSON, OF PITTSBURG, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR T0 FUNK BROTHERS, OF

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Application filed September '7, 1910.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES I. DoDsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Spring-Vheel, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a resilient wheel, thespokes of which constitute the spring portion of the device, and toprovide novel means for securing the spokes to the hub of the wheel,novel means being provided for limiting the movement of the rim of thewheel, under the yielding of the spokes of the wheel.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, parts being broken away;Fig. 2 is a transverse section upon the line AB of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is afragmental transverse section upon the line A-B, Fig. 3 being anenlarged detail; and Fig. 4 is a plan, showing a portion of the innerface of one of the cover plates.

The rim of the wheel includes a tire 1 of any desired form, a tirereceiving member 2,

and a felly 3, to which the tire receivingmember :2 is secured in anydesired manner.

The spokes 4 of the wheel are curvilinear in outline, and are fashionedfrom resilient material. The outer ends of the spokes 4 are bolted, asshown at 5, or secured in any other desired manner to the rim of thewheel. The inner ends of the spokes 4 are, generally speaking L-shaped,so that projections 6 are formed at the inner ends of the spokes. Theseprojections 6 are adapted to register in L-shaped openings 7, formed inthe hub 10 of the wheel. These L- shaped openings 7 preferably extendentirely through the hub 10.

The invention further includes a plurality of locking devices, thelocking devices including screws 8 threaded into the hub 10 radially ofthe same. The inner ends of the screws 8 are adapted to bear against theprojections 6 of the spokes 4, as seen to best advantage in Figs. 2 and3. The screws 8 are provided with polygonal turning heads 9 adapted toreceive a wrench or key. Lock nuts 11 are mounted upon the screws 8,these look nuts being adapted to be rotated upon the screws to engagethe hub 10, thereby preventing the screws from moving out ofSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Serial No. 580,846.

engagement with the projections 6 of the spokes 4.

A cover plate 12 is applied to one side of the hub 10, and a cover plate14 is applied to the opposite side thereof, these plates 12 and 14 beingheld in place by bolts 18 or other securingdevices, extended throughboth plates and through the hub 10.

By noting Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the cover plate 14 isperipherally extended, as shown at 15, into close relation to the felly3 of the rim structure.

If desired, as shown to best advantage in Figs. 4 and 3, the inner faceof the cover plate 14 may be provided with a plurality of ribs 16. Theseribs 16, when the cover plate is placed upon the wheel, are adapted toengage the nuts 11, to hold the same against rotation. Obviously thespaces 17 between the ends of the ribs 16, are adapted to receive thespokes 4.

In practical operation, the inner ends of the spokes 4 are slid,transversely of the hub 10 into the openings 7 in the hub 10, theprojections 6 upon the inner ends of the spokes 4, preventing the spokesfrom being withdrawn from the hub 10, longitudinally of the spokes. Thescrews 8 are rotated to a firm bearing upon the projections 6 of thespokes, the screws 8 thus serving to prevent the spokes from movingtransversely of the hub 10, out of the openings 7. The lock nuts 11 uponthe screws 8 serve to prevent the screws from rotating out ofengagementwith the projections 6 of the spokes 4. Moreover when thecover plate 14 is applied to the side of the hub 10, as shown in Fig. 3,the ribs 16 upon the plate 14, engaging the nuts 11 will prevent thesaid nuts from becoming loosened. It will be clearly seen that when theplates 12 and 14 are held in place by means of the bolts 18, the platesserve to prevent the spokes 4 from sliding transversely of the hub 10.By reason of the fact that the cover plate 14 is peripherally extendedas shown at 15, into close relation with the felly 3 of the rimstructure, this plate 14 is adapted to serve as an abutment to receivethe rim of the wheel when the spring spokes 4 are unduly compressed.Thus, although the spokes 4 are thoroughly efficient to give the desiredresiliency t0 the wheel, the spokes cannot be broken nor bent by thesudden application of a strain, exceeding the strain which the spokesare calculated to bear.

Having thus described the invention, whatis claimed is A vehicle wheelembodying a rim; spokes secured to the rim and provided with terminalprojections; a hub having openings into which the projections may heslid transversely of the hub, to register therein against withdrawallongitudinally of the spokes; screws mounted in the hub and adapted tobear upon the projections of the spokes; hub-engaging lock nuts upon thescrews; and plates applied to the ends of the hub, to hold the spokes inplace within the hub, one of said plates having ribs adapted to bearagainst the peripheries of the lock nuts, to hold the same againstrotation.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES I. DODSON.

Vitnesses:

J. H. GHIESING, EDWIN E. COULTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D, C.

